Reusable Hung Men
by The Duckster
Summary: Fred moons over Verity, the untouchable employee. George gives him crap about Fred being as bad as Ron in his mooning nature. Builds off of prompt 24 'between brothers' but not dependent on it


**Reusable Hung Men**

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." George whispered into Fred's ear. Fred shook himself out of his reverie and shoved his brother playfully. He'd been staring at her work the sales floor through the open door as he sat as his desk from inside their shared office.

"Bugger off." Fred muttered as he turned his attention back to the new mail order catalog he was putting together.

"Don't be so sour, she's a looker. If I weren't quite so taken with my own very attractive lady friend I'd duel you for her."

"Wouldn't that be a sight, we could stride out at high noon in the middle of Diagon Alley, walk ten paces and draw, just like in those daft American Muggle pictures."

"Yeah, though some of the drama might be lost when we each slip the other a trick wand and so at the end of the climactic countdown we are left wielding a rubber chicken and a halibut." George laughed at this own joke as he swiveled in the bright purple hippogriff hide chair he was seated in.

"It could be great advertising though, perhaps make up a few flyer's, run an ad in the daily prophet." Fred said thoughtfully, running with the gag.

"I can see it now _'Dynamic Duo Duels over Dashing Dame'_" George moved his arms in the air as he spoke like he was reading off a large billboard. "Course that would involve you telling the cute blond currently advising a customer on the best ways to slip canaries creams and turtle tarts on the hourderv tray at a party, that you think she's pretty." George said the last words in a simpering sweet tone of mockery.

Fred rested his chin on the hand he had propped on the table. "She's something isn't she? I overheard her tell a kid once about covering a door frame with newspaper, then filling it so that when it was opened on the other side it was just just an avalanche of peanuts. If only I'd known a year ago my soul mate was walking through that door for an interview, I'd have," George cut off his dreamy tirade.

"You'd have what, not given her the job? The only thing stopping you is being her boss, but I'm not convinced it would be going too well for had your closing line in the interview been 'Sorry we can't hire you, your too perfect for the position. Would you like to head up stairs for a bit of a snog instead?' It's a cert that would have gone over better."

"It's such a lose lose ya know, I ask her out then and I am the pervy boss who just hired her to get some action, or I ask her out now and I'm the pervy boss who hits on his employees."

"To be fair you've never hit on Alan so it's more just the pervy boss hitting on his employ_ee_." George stresses the last syllable.

"Thank you for the clarification there George, I feel so much better now that my lecherous behavior is limited to just the one employee."

"I bet it helps Alan sleep better at night too." George reached over and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Now stop this pining or I'll have to start calling you Ron."

"Oi! That's just low! He's got a good three years of pining on me at least." Fred called out in indignation.

"Yeah well at least he's doing something about it. Took a serious pair to ask the likes of us for a favor."

"That was a pretty brilliant plan too. Who knew the anal retentive bookworm had it in her? If he avoids being a ponce with her and doesn't go snogging any bints this time 'round, they'll have one hell of a tumble once they get between the sheets."

"I'll drink to that!" George called out as he held up an imaginary shot glass. "More to the point though, unless you want Verity to have lingering fantasies of your baby bro, and I'm not talking me, then perhaps you should make a move."

"Like what? I would move if I knew which move wouldn't end with some ministry harassment charge. Percy would have a field day!"

"Well we could always steal our own dear brothers idea, his ended with fantastic results after all." George suggested with a sly glint in his eye.

"That did go rather swimmingly didn't it. The kid is pretty smart if you can get over what a dunderhead he is about Hermione." Fred admitted as he let his mind wander off in thoughts of Verity dreaming about him. "Are you suggesting we ask Verity to test out another version?"

"The perfect man edition, shall we say." George said with a suggestive wiggling of his eyebrows.

"Then just spike it with me instead of ickle Ronnie kins!"

"By George I think he's got it!" Georges jubilant cry was interrupted by a soft knocking on the door frame of their cramped office.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley," She nodded to each of them in turn. "There is a gentleman out here that's interesting in your custom firework shows. His son is coming of age and they're planning a party just before Hogwarts starts back up. I already looked in the schedule book and there's a conflict for the night of the party but he said he's willing to include a sizable upfront bonus if you could find a way to make it work." She looked a little haggard, this customer must have been rather persistent with her. George got out of his chair and winked at Fred before gesturing with a nod at Verity.

"Seems like our grand exit form Hogwarts has really paid off." George said before he left to deal with his beloved friend the _'sizable bonus'_. Fred looked at the short blond and her very tired expression.

"Why don't you sit down for a few moments, it doesn't sound like that you were having the easiest time out there." He gestured to Georges chair, she muttered a soft thank you and sat down. Fred watched her thoughtfully as she rested her head on the back of the chair and closed her eyes. _'This would be so much easier if I wasn't her boss. Could I fire her just to ask her on a date? No that's wrongful termination, plus she's really good. We got lucky when we hired her, little prank pulling minx.'_

"I wish I were one year younger." A crooked smirk played on her face as she spoke, her voice dreamy bringing Fred out of his inner musings.

"Your too young to be wishing to be younger."

"My seventh year was the tri-wizard tournament, which means I missed out on the Mr's Weasley legendary goodbye." Her eyes were still closed as she spoke, shaking her head slightly as she spoke as if she deeply regretted this fact.

"Never thought I'd hear someone of sound mind saying they were sad they missed out on Umbridge." Verity opened her eyes and looked at Fred like he'd developed spots.

"Come on, there was so much that happened that year! The stories that people tell me about watching the two of you flying off on your brooms amid a storm of wild whizbangs. Brilliant, completely inspired. I've even heard there was even a secret underground resistance going by the name of _'Dumbledore's Army'_ lead by no other than, get this, Harry Potter himself." Fred barely held back the chuckle growing in his chest.

"Harry wasn't a bad teacher actually, taught us the shield charm currently used on our entire line of defensive products. Course you've never had to share a room with the little runt, kid snores like runaway train." Fred couldn't help but smile at the awestruck look on her beautiful face.

"Wait, you've slept with Harry Potter?" Verity's eyes were wide in amazement and she leaned forward in the chair.

"Eww, not like that! He's not nearly bendy enough for my liking." Fred couldn't stop the wink he sent her way. "He and our baby brother are best friends. Spends holidays at the burrow, you knew that though, he came in here end of last summer. Hell, he was the original financial backer for our humble little shop."

"I seem to recall seeing him at school with a lanky red head, should have put together he'd be a Weasley." she commented airily.

"That's our brother, the plucky sidekick."

"Wait, I was sidetracked by your night time relationship with Harry Potter. Do you mean to say that you were in Dumbledore's Army? You've had personal defense lessons from 'the boy who lived'?" She questioned him excited but cautiously, unwilling to believe too readily. Fred withdrew a large false coin from his pocket and flashed her a smile.

"One of the founding members. It was Ginny's idea to name it that, though we all just called it the 'DA' so as to keep our secret underground activities secret and underground." A horrible thought struck Fred touched his face in a panic and quickly conjured a mirror out of the air with his wand. He let out a deep sigh of relief. "Just needed to make sure of something." He explained as he set the mirror down. "Strictly speak it's not very safe under the current political climate to be announcing that to outsiders." Fred had to duck quickly as a large paper weight in the shape of a toilet seat was set hurtling towards his head.

"Mr. Weasley! If you have not yet deduced that I am no Death Eater than you're clearly not a clever as you look," she said with a red face, clearly annoyed.

"I guess having Harry live at the house for the holidays sort of gives us Weasley's away anyhow?"

"Speaking of your close personal relationship with 'the chosen one', did he really invest in the shop?" She questioned, clearly more interested with this information.

"Yeah, poor kid didn't have the heart to spend his Tri-wizard earnings. Instead he saw the incredible potential in the Wheezes and invested on two conditions."

"You're telling me this whole shop is built off of the Tri-wizard tournament's 1000 galleon grand prize?" she blew a strand of hair away from her face with a loud puff. Fred just nodded his head to answer. "What were the conditions?" She asked, curiosity clearly peeked.

"First, we had to buy our ickle baby brother new dress robes. Apparently the ones he'd been forced to wear to the Yule Ball were too humiliating to even be friends with." Verity let out a small chuckle. "Secondly we couldn't tell our Mum, still don't think she knows about it."

"How does she think you got the start up capitol?"

"She asked us once, just after we first got premises, we made a joke about an appearance in _'Boys with Broomsticks'_ and she hasn't asked since. I'm guessing at this point she thinks she's happier not knowing."

"Mmm, I'd be willing to buy that issue." Verity said as she raised one eyebrow suggestively.

Fred wasn't usually embarrassed by much of anything, but he found his ears growing red with the characteristic Weasley blush at the possible implications of her words. This was one of those moments where he had to remind himself quite forcefully he was her boss and it won't be right to answer _'Don't worry about buying the issue, you have a look all to yourself.' _

"It would have made record sales." Fred agreed straight faced.

"Yes, I'm quite sure a spread including the genius's behind the Wheezes would sell out quite nicely. They could title it_ 'Reusable Hung Men'. _You should definitely contact them about it, great bit of advertising." She dead panned right back at him.

Fred's grinned widely as his chest swelled to twice it's normal size. This was it, he was going to do whatever it took to marry her. The other girls he'd gone out with had laughed at his jokes and he'd enjoyed that, it had been his intention after all. Yet there was something unconditionally sexy about her joking right back with him.


End file.
